Young Reggae Boy on road to recovery

Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer

SAN PEDRO, Mexico:

A week after the incident that drastically changed his fortunes and robbed him of the chance to shine on the global stage, Odean Clarke still can't even recall exactly what happened to him.

"I don't remember anything apart from when I woke up in the hospital," Clarke said yesterday of the June 10 incident which left him unconscious for 55 minutes. "The only thing I remember ... I was told about it, but I don't remember anything."

Yet the fallout from the collision that caused a blunt head trauma and knocked the Jamaican goalkeeper cold and out of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, is likely to haunt him long after he has hopefully made a full recovery. Clarke, however, is trying to channel the negative into a positive.

"I'm really disappointed," the 17-year-old Muschett High School student said, from the team hotel in San Pedro, Mexico, where he has been allowed to stay with Jamaica's contingent for the tournament. "But it's just another phase in my life. I have to go through and I just hope I'll get stronger because of this incident. It's a hard phase in my life, but I'll just have to get over it."

Constant support

While Clarke has been replaced in the squad by Jemauh Cunningham of Lennon High, he does not feel left out. Constant support from Jamaica's contingent has kept his spirits up.

"My teammates, the management staff, the coaching staff, they really help me a lot," he said. "We're still enjoying ourselves, getting ready for the World Cup. It's like I'm gonna be playing in the World Cup because I'm in the World Cup mood right now."

But Clarke still has some way to go before he can even practise again. As of yesterday, he still has another four or five days within which he must show he's free of symptoms from the injury - headaches, general pain and diarrhoea - before he is allowed to take the field. Clarke is hoping that Jamaica can advance to the second round - from the group that includes tomorrow's opponents Japan, Argentina and France - so he can be considered. So far, his treatment, which is being supervised by team physician Dr Ivor O'Connor, has been effective.

"I got some pills from the doctor and they seem to be working," Clarke said.

But his forced omission has been a big blow to Jamaica. According to coach Wendell Downswell, Clarke was a likely starter against Japan.

"You could have considered him number one," Downswell said yesterday. "He was first string".

According to the player, although he had not yet spoken to his parents - Jennifer Gibson and Lansford Clarke in Trelawny - support has been pouring in from Jamaica. He has talked to representatives of his club Holland F.C. and his brother Michael. He has also communicated with schoolmates online. Everyone, he explained, was shaken up by the news of his injury.

Taken on new role

"I got to talk to some of my friends and they were really worried," said Clarke.

Reports indicate that Clarke was injured when he went to collect a cross during Jamaica's practice game against Reforma Athletics Club in Toluca, Mexico. He was hit in the head by an opponent's shoulder. Now out of action, Clarke sees his role as cheerleader for the Young Reggae Boyz.

"(My role is) to lend moral support to my team members and try to keep them focused and help them to get over this thing that has happened to me and use it as a motivation to move forward in life," he said.

Clarke is also confident he will fully recover. But even if he doesn't get another shot at World Cup 2011, he has already set his sights on bigger goals.

"It's something I will be able to get over and come again for the Under-20s and probably the senior team," he said.